TAP Gallery is a Sydney treasure, a place truly dedicated to art. I was witness to so many beautiful pieces of theatre at the old TAP, when it was on Palmer Street. Well, it’s long moved to Riley Street, and there’s no micro-theatre anymore – but there’s still the potential for brilliant theatrical work to done here.
Unorthodox Productions are currently presenting Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries.
It’s a 75 minute two-hander, an exploration of pain and its cure. In eight non-chronological scenes, the play covers a thirty year span in the relationship between Kayleen and Doug. These two are injured in so many ways, some of them physical.
It’s not really a narrative, or at least it doesn’t privilege narrative. It’s fun to try to guess the links between the scenes, but I don’t think that’s the point of the nonconventional structure. By not asking us to focus on the development of the relationship, it lifts it beyond time, and highlights the transcendent nature of love. The genius of the piece is that this spiritual transcendence is juxtaposed so clearly with the physical: what stronger reminder of human fragility and ephemerality can there be than injury? And the junction between these two spheres of Life – the miraculous place where the spiritual meets the physical – is beautifully evoked by the suggestion that wholeness may be gifted by a touch.
Director Brea Macey makes effective use of the simple space. Darya Miroshnikova and Chris Stamoulous give truly committed performances and are entirely present as they explore the complexity of the characters (though some variation in pace might bring out more of the script’s rich humour.)
I have to admit I find something deeply thrilling about productions like this. Find a space. Share Beauty and Truth. Don’t wait for permission. Sydney needs more of it.
Paul Gilchrist
Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph
Presented by Unorthodox Productions
at Tap Gallery until May 3
Tickets www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1538915
Image by Simon Pearce
Theatre Red 